Tech

This Qbotix Robot Is Solar Power's Best Friend [VIDEO]

Solar power is great, but it isn't a perfect system. Panels are only in optimal ray-catching position for a small part of the day. Moving them and their own individual motors takes energy and hurts efficiency, especially with large solar fields.

Enter the Qbotix Solbot.

The small, battery-powered robot rides a monorail track underneath the panels of a solar farm. It travels from panel to panel, rotating each one so that it faces the sun for maximum efficiency. By rotating themselves, the panels get as much sun as possible, and don't have to waste any of the power they generate.

“We are the first company to use mobile, intelligent robots to operate solar power plants,” Qbotix CEO Wasiq Bokhari tells Bloomberg.

One Solbot can easily take care of 200 solar panels, and boost their efficiency by as much as 15%, according to QBotix. The company built a prototype last year, and operated it for over nine months. The Solbot is expected to go on sale this month.

Based in Menlo Park, Calif., QBotix is made up of veterans from both the solar and robotics industries. So far, it's raised $7.5 million in funding from backers, including Firelake Capital, Siemens Venture Capital and New Enterprise Associates.

Which industries do you think robotics can help the most? Share your ideas in the comments.

What's Hot

More in Tech

What's New

What's Rising

What's Hot

Mashable
is a leading global media company that informs, inspires and entertains the digital generation. Mashable is redefining storytelling by documenting and shaping the digital revolution in a new voice, new formats and cutting-edge technologies to a uniquely dedicated audience of 42 million monthly unique visitors and 24 million social followers.